Aviation mask



Dec. 14, 1943. w. M. BOOTHBY ETAL AVIATION MASK Filed April 19, 1941 3Sheets-Sheet l Inventor-s: W. l LBooL'hbg q A. H.BUlbUlld.n.

Dec. 14, 1943. w. M. BOOTHBY ETAL 2,335,979

AVIATION MASK Filed April 19. 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventors W. M.Boothlog. A H Bulbulian Dec. 14, 1943. w BQQTHBY ETAL 2,336,979

AVIATION MASK Filed April 19, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Invenio a-s: W. M.BOO'thb 4-6 A. H.1Bulbulman.

Patented Dec. 14, 1943 AVIATION MA SK Walter M. Boothby and Arthur H.Bulbulian,

Rochester, Minn.

Application April 19, 1941, Serial No. 389,348 6 Claims. 31. 128-402)Our inventlon relates to aviation masks and has for its object toprovide a mask structure of unusual simplicity and efficiency for use ofaviators or others where it is desirable to employ in connection withthe mask a microphone for transmission of radio speech.

Aviators, particularly in military and commercial aviation, are oftenrequired to take their plane to high altitudes where the barometricpressure is low and the oxygen pressure in the alveolar passages of thelungs will be correspondingly low. When certain heights have beenpassed, say elevations of twelve to fifteen thousand feet, this alveolarpressure becomes so low as to render it dangerous for an individual tobreathe external atmosphere without oxygen reinforcement. But militaryaviators, and also to a considerable extent pilots of commercialairplanes, should be provided in the mask structure itself withmicrophones suitably positioned and having customary connection (notshown) with radio transmitting mechanism carried by the plane, so thatat all times, and particularly when traveling on the radio beam, thepilot can talk with those on the ground or in other planes which may bedirecting the course and operation of the airplane occupied by suchpilot.

It is a principal object of our invention, therefore, to so improve theconstruction of an oronasal mask adapted to be worn by an individual asto make possible a satisfactory placement of the microphone in the maskstructure itself and insure easy and effective breathing at highaltitudes while eliminating the danger of freezing due to lowtemperatures which are always encountered in very high altitudes.

It is a further object of our invention to provide an oronasal mask.having a breathing chamber adapted to enclose the mouth and nose of thewearer, with a microphone located immediately in front of .the mouth ofthe wearer and having breathing valves symmetrically positioned in atransverse line on either side of the microphone casing, said transversevalves being effectively placed for easy balanced breathing' It is afurther object of our invention to employ in connection with theaforesaid double valve openings a porous material, such as spongerubber, which will permit the passage of gas outwardly upon expirationand to an extent inwardly upon inspiration, and which yet will effectsuch restriction upon breathing as to permit a reservoir rebreathing bagof less capacity than a normal inspiration or expiration to control to alarge degree the inlet and exit of air from the breathing chamber.

It is a further object of our invention to provide, in conjunction withthe aforesaid breathing chamber, contour margins for contacting the chinand the face of the wearer about the mouth and which comprise acontinuous, hollow, yieldable tube opening at both of its ends into thebreathing chamber above the mouth portion thereof.

It is a further object of our invention to provide the valve openingswith symmetrically disposed turret extensions extending outwardly fromthe mask body along axial lines perpendicularly to said mask body andhence diverging from the microphone compartment at the center of themask.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a saddle or cover ofBakelite or similar strong and inflexible material so shaped that thesame may be caused to encircle the microphone turret and haveportions'engage under grooves formed at the bottom of the valve turretsso that the same will be held positioned upon the mask without otherfastening devices and to provide means for securing the mask upon theface of the wearer, which means engage said saddle member substantiallyabove the bridge of the nose and which can be carried directly backabout the head of the wearer just above the nape of the neck.

The full objects and advantages of our invention will appear inconnection with the detailed description given hereafter in thespecification and the novel features by means of which the advantageousresults above noted are obtained are particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings illustrating an application of our invention in oneform:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the mask structure as worn.

Fig. 2 is a section through the mask structure itself as it would appearon the face of a wearer.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mask from the face-contacting side thereof.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the mask body without the saddle appliedthereto viewed from the opposite direction from the sectional view ofFig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the mask structure with the saddle appliedthereto.

.Fig. 6 is a plan view of the saddle removed from the mask body.

Fig. 7 1s a sectional view taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 5.

portion |9 which encloses a forward breathin 1 chamber for receiving thenose of the wearer, as clearly shown.

The chamber 20, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4, is topped by abulbous extension 2| at the top of the U-shaped portion |9. This bulbousextension 2| extends inward in a part 22 which opens past a rib-likemember 23 into breathing chamber 24 opposite the mouth of the wearer, asbest shown in Fig. 2. The rib 23 extends into bottom walls 25 and 26,Fig. '7, of a continuous tube 21 which encloses a channel 28 that opensat each of its ends into the nose chamber 26, as indicated at 29 and 30of Fig. 3. There is thus provided the continuous channel 28 which hascontinuous flow connection at both ends with the nose chamber 26. Theface 3| of the tube 21 is merged into the beveled faces l1, l8 of thecontour margins I5 and I6 surrounding the open side of the chamber 26,and forms a continuation of said contour margins and a resilient portionfor contacting the chin and cheeks of the wearer, as shown in dottedlines at 32 of Fig. 2. This has the effect of providing a very firm anduniform contact with the face of the wearer and yet giving a cushioningmember which engages the chin and cheeks and which. because it iscontinuously open into the breathing chamber, tends to keep filled withwarm air and thus effectively to insulate the contacted portions of theface, and warm the cushioning tube of the mask.

At the center of the body ID of the mask is formed what may be called amicrophone turret 33. This is preferably formed, as clearly indicated inFigs. 2 and 7, with outwardly diverge ing annular walls 34 which enclosethe microphone indicated diagrammatically at (35. The walls 34 are, ofcourse, continuous with the body In and run into a' cap wall 36 which inturn extends into a button-like projection 31. The diverging insidewalls 38 surrounding the microphone provide a constricted opening 39which holds the microphone in place. These diverging walls also ineffect form a groove 40 extending an annular bottom'wall 44 united withthe wall 8 H) of the mask body and having constricted openings 45 thusforming an annular groove 46, Fig '7.

nonetheless sets up a sufficient restriction of air to function ashereinafter pointed out. From the central bottom of chamber 24, formouth breathing, extends at a suitable outward angle an opening 5|!which leads; Figs. 2, 3 and 4, to a channel 5| extending through a tube52 in a downwardly and outwardly direction. The tube 52, as clearlyshown, is located along the central plane of the mask directly below themicrophone turret 33. To the depending tube 52 is secured a connectormember 53 which enters the opening 5| in tube 52 at the upper portion ofthe connector member, as shown in Fig. 1 and is adapted to receive areservoir rebreathing bag 54. Also the connector member 52 is providedwith a nipple 55 to which an oxygen tube 56 runs to a source of oxygensupply at regulated pressure, not shown. A bottom tube 51 closed by aremovable stopper 58 is adapted-to collect any moisture which may formwithin reservoir rebreathing bag 54, which can be readily emptied bywithdrawing this stopper 58.

Directly cooperating of the body III of the mask is a supporting member60 which may be termed a saddle. This supporting member is shown more orless in detail in Figs. 5 and 6, in Fig. 5 being shown applied to themask structure and in Fig. 6 being shown independently of the maskstructure. The saddle or supporting member directly cooperates with thestructure of the mask body and the several turrets on it. It comprises amain body portion 6| in which there is a circular hole or opening 62adapted to have passed therethrough the central microphone turret 33. Ateach side of the opening 62 are bars of material 63 and 64 which areadapted to engage the body I0 between the respective turrets 33, 4| and33, 42, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Oppositely turned sets of points 65,66 and 61, 68 are formed on each side of semi-circular margins 69 and10, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. The outer limits of margins 69 and 1Dand of the respective sets of points 65, 61, and 66,- 68 engage in thegrooves 46 formed at the bottoms of the cylindrical turret members 43.Taken in conjunction with the central microphone turret 33 extendingthrough the opening 62, this arrangement firmly anchors the saddle 6|upon the mask body l0 without any other securing means. A raised frontportion H of saddle member 60 is provided with a series of lifted barsl2, l3 and I4 which form a corresponding series of underlying slots 15,Figs. 1 and 6. The several slots 15 are of a size to receive a fasteningstrap 16, Fig. 1, which as shown in the figure, passes around the backof the wearer's neck as at 11 just above the nape, and by directright-line pull holds the mask and the parts connected therewith securedto his face.

At the lower part of the saddle is a portion 11' which is curvedoutwardly so as to enevelope the outlet tube 52, as clearly shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 5. This, in conjunction with other features of thesaddle, enables it to be applied to the mask body and to be heldthereon, without the necessity of riveting or other fastening means. Itwill be noted from Fig. 2 that the portion 1| of the mask body closelyembraces the top of the U-shaped portion 2| and the whole constructionof the saddle and its contacting arrangement in respect to the mask bodyproduces an extremely with the surface portion 4 move to the breathingpassages either through the nose or the mouth in such a manner as tomake breathing easy and natural under any conditions of stress, such asmay occur when a military aviator is engaged in combat. Anotherimportant feature resides in the provision of a microphone turretdirectly in front of the mouth ofthe wearer of the mask in the mostconvenient position to transmit the voice, and the provision of balancedbreathing valves at either side of the microphone turret whichadditionally facilitates breathing under any and all conditions.

The oxygen entering the rebreathing bag and the breathing system fromtube 56 may be set for a continuous flow suflicient to meet the needs ofthe aviator or may be varied .in its flow as breathing requirementsnecessitate, all in a well known manner. This connection is one whicheffectively holds the mask in position and enables it to support thereservoir rebreathing bag and the connected oxygen tube in an efficientmanner. It also permits rapid removal of the mask by a simple upwardmovement of the same in the event that such rapid removal becomesnecessary or desirable.

We claim:

1. A mask adapted to contact the face of a I wearer to seal against theface so as to enclose a breathing chamber overlying the nose and mouthof the wearer, a tube united with the margins of the mask and opening atboth ends into the chamber, said tube adapted to surround the mouth ofthe wearer and engage the chin and the cheeks at each side of the mouth,whereby the mouth portion of the breathing chamber is sealed, amicrophone turret centrally positioned so as to be in front of the mouthof the wearer, a. valve turret on each side of said microphone turretall in substantially a line across the mask body and between portions ofsaid tube, and a restrictive valve in each turret adapted to permit flowtherethrough of inhalation gases into the breathing chamber subject toinhalation negative pressure therein and of exhalation gases therefromsubject to exhalation positive pressure therefrom, and a centralopen-ended breathing tube leading downwardly from the breathing chamberadapted to be connected with a reservoir rebreathing bag.

2. A mask adapted to contact the face of a wearer to seal against theface so as to enclose a breathing chamber overlying the nose and mouthof the wearer, a centrally positioned microphone turret, two valveturrets disposed on either side of the microphone turret and spacedtherefrom, said valve turrets being formedto provide an annular groovebetween their bodies and the body of the mask, and a saddle member 01'rigid material having portions positioned to surround the microphoneturret and extend between it and adjacent portions of the valve turretsand into the grooves surrounding the same for removably holding thesaddle upon the mask body.

3. In a mask structure having a breathing chamber formed with connectedmouth breathing and nose breathing portions, the nose breathing portionprojected above the mouth breathing portion, a pair of space d valveturrets provided with surrounding grooves, a saddle member of rigidmaterial having portions to enclose the part of the mask forming thenose breathing chamber and to extend partially around the valve turretsand beneath said grooves for removably holding the saddle upon the maskbody, and securing means for the mask attached to the portion of thesaddle enclosing the nose breathing chamber.

4. In a mask structure having a breathing chamber formed with connectedmouth breathing and nose breathing portions, the nose breathing portionprojected above the mouth breathing portion, a pair of spaced valveturrets provided with surrounding grooves, a saddle member of rigidmaterial having portions to enclose the part of the mask forming thenose breathing chamber and to extend partially around the valve turretsand within said grooves for removably holding the saddle upon the maskbody, a series of slots formed across the portion of the saddleenclosing the nose breathing chamber and a band extending through thoseslots and adapted to be carried back about the head of the wearerdirectly above the nape of the nack for holding the mask in sealingposition upon the face of a wearer.

5. A mask adapted to contact the face of a wearer to seal against theface so as to enclose a breathing chamber overlying the nose and mouthof the wearer and formed of yielding material such as rubber, two valveturrets disposed in symmetrical relation at each side of the center ofthe mask and provided with surrounding grooves adjacent the mask body,and a saddle member of rigid material having portions positioned topartially surround the valve turrets and extend within said grooves forremovably holding the saddle upon the mask body.

6. A mask adapted to contact the face to seal a breathing chamber overthe nose and the mouth of the wearer, a microphone turret centrallypositioned so as to be in front of the wearer's mouth, a valve turret oneach side of said microphone turret in substantially a line across themask body, a restriction valve on each turret adapted to permit flowtherethrough of inhalation gases into the breathing chamber subject toinhalation negative pressure therein and of exhalation gases therefromsubject to exhalation positive pressure therein, and a centralopen-ended breathing tube leading downwardly from the breathing chamberand adapted to be connected with a reservoir rebreathing bag.

WALTER M. BOOTHIBY. ARTHUR H. BUIBULIAN.

